Dark Angels: Breaking Chains
by DarkLordHerobrine
Summary: Noctis is not a typical Sith. Her power rivals that of Bane. Her connection to the Dark Side is great enough to merit her name: a Latin word meaning midnight. Rated T for violence, brutality, and ruthlessness. Dark!Max. On indefinite hiatus.
1. Prolouge 1

**A/N: I noticed very few SW-MR crossovers, so... FYI: Max is currently 9. Her PoV unless otherwise stated.**

**Disclaimer: MR belongs to James Patterson and SW belongs to Disney**

The funny thing about facing imminent death is that it really snaps everything else into perspective. Take right now, for instance. _Run! Come on, run! You know you can do it. _I gulp deep lungfuls of air. My brain is on hyperdrive; I am racing for my life. My one goal is to escape. Nothing else matters. My arms being scratched to ribbons by a briar I run through? No biggie. My bare feet hitting every sharp rock, rough root, pointed stick? Not a problem. My lungs aching for air? I can deal. As long as I could put as much distance as possible between me and the Erasers. Yeah, Erasers. Mutants: half-men, half-wolves, usually armed, always bloodthirsty. Right now they're after me. See? That snaps everything into perspective. _Run. You're faster than they are. You can outrun anyone._

Oh crap, _I __think as I__ ski__d__ to a halt_. It seems that in the four years since I last fought these abominations, they've gotten smarter. I say this because they set up a flanking maneuver. I'm surrounded. Then something clicks. I don't have to run. They dare attack a Sith Lord and they will pay. A chill begins to permeate the air as I reach into the Force. Several Erasers halt, having spotted my eyes changing color. Lightning leaps from my finger tips and dances across the now terrified enforcers of the hellhole known as the School. Smiling evilly, I pluck my lightsaber from my belt and activate it with the characteristic snap-hiss. I'm quite proud of my lightsaber. It's a variant of the guard shoto design with two blades, one in the typical place and a hidden one on the other end. Whirling the weapon, I charge into the ranked Erasers. They don't stand a chance. Cue terrifying evil laugh.

Time skip

"Lord Tyranus, I wish to take my revenge on the School," I say, addressing the hologrammic projection of my Master. _"Very well, Darth Noctis. Show those fools the wrath of the Sith,"_ comes the reply. After the connection closes, I change from the traditional Sith robes to my typical black military fatigues. It is time to break the last of my chains. I snatch up three proton charges and my saber. They will pay for what they did to me. The weapon they made will destroy them. I am Maximum Ride, the Sith Lord Darth Noctis. I do not lose. My wing muscles tense, ready for the coming flight. My eyes blaze, yellow with the power of the Dark Side coursing through me. The School will fall. My enemies will taste my blade. The door to my small landing bay opens and I stride though, taking flight a moment later. I soar high, carried towards my target on the wings of vengeance.

Time skip. Unknown PoV

The doors explode inwards, the two Eraser guards who were just thrown through them slam into their stunned comrades. A black clad figure casually walks past the wolf hybrids, almost absentmindedly killing them with blasts of lightning fired from its hand. Wait. I recognize that hair. Maximum. What happened to her? The protecter of humanity shouldn't be an emotionless killing machine! What. Happened. "Doctor Batchelder, you need to evacuate," voices another scientist. On screen, the girl looks up at the security camera. What. The. Hell. Her eyes are not the warm chocolate brown they were four years ago. Instead, they are red flecked yellow. Then the camera cuts out.

Max PoV

Screams fill my ears, smoke clouds my sight, fire crackles around my feet, the stench of charred flesh and ozone floods my nose. A bestial smile is on my lips. Ahhh. I love carnage in the morning. The slaughter is exhilarating. A tickle in the Force. A familiar presence. Fearful. Who... Then it hits me. FANG! Following the Force presence, I carve through everything in my way until I enter a dark room. A room full of cages. There are five beings alive in here. All bird kids. All terrified. I rip the door off the cage holding Fang and pull my black haired friend out. "Max," his voice shaking from fear, "You're back..." "Don't be afraid Fang. I'm getting you out of here. I have a... house. It's big enough for all six of us," I murmur to him. Next, I open the smallest cage. That one contains a baby girl, who couldn't be more than seven months old. A new rage fills me. My anger at my treatment is replaced by raw fury at the suffering of an infant and the monsters who inflicted it. Power cascades from me, the remaining cages are torn apart by pure Force energy. Turning to Fang, I say "Get the others to the ridge. I'm going to demolish this place."

Time skip

_"__Noctis, why did you bring these lab rats with you?"_ quires Tyranus. "Master, they are like me and my friends," I snap back. _"__Listen girl, you must destroy them or they will make you weak. Love, compassion, selflessness, these __turn you soft. Kill them and devote yourself fully to the Dark Side,"_ he growls. "If dooming my species is what is needed to become a full Sith, then I quit!" I shout. The door to my training room bursts open and Fang, who was attracted by the noise, comes charging in. "Who is that?" asks my best friend. _"__I am Darth Tyranus, Dark Lord of the Sith boy. __You are merely a disruptive relic from Noctis' past. Begone,"_ states the projection. Before Fang can respond, I flip my Master the bird and disconnect the comm system's HoloNet receiver. I look up to find Fang's obsidian eyes locked on me. "Noctis?" he inquires. "That's the name he gave me," I whisper. "When someone becomes a Sith, their master gives them a new name. I'm still Max though." My friend nods slowly, "Okay, I get it. What now?" What now indeed.

Tyranus PoV

What is that girl _thinking_? Abandoning the Sith? Impossible! A blinking light signals the arrival of Kenobi and Skywalker. I will have to deal with Noctis later...


	2. Prolouge 2

**A/N: Faykan has agreed to beta this story! Head over to their profile and take a look at Harry Potter and the Power of the Dark Side. It's the inspiration for this story. R&amp;R plz. No flames. **

**Disclaimer: Do not own.**

Twenty-three BBY, four years earlier

Count Dooku gazed intently at the ill-clad girl before him. 'This scrawny experiment cannot possibly be Bane's successor,' thought the Separatist leader. He couldn't wrap his head around what the Force was telling him: that the child in the cage in front of him was the second most powerful Force sensitive in the Galaxy, surpassed only by Anakin Skywalker — the Jedi's 'Chosen One'. The Sith Lord known as Darth Tyranus reached out with the Force to probe her. What he found almost made him want to flee and have the planet sterilized - almost. This 'Maximum Ride' girl was filled with enough hate, fear and pain to literally taint the Force around her and turn it Dark.

Max huddled in the corner of her dog crate, thoroughly creeped out by the old man studying her. He exuded an aura of darkness and cold that scared her beyond anything the whitecoats ever did. Despite this, the power she could feel emanating from him intrigued the bird-girl. The man then spoke. "Come with me youngling, and I can give you power. The Force has the power (expanding the noun to create a complete sentence, and make the subject Dooku's relating more clear) to destroy any who try to hurt you like your captors have. You will even be given a new name." Max didn't hesitate, even for a second. "Will take power over whitecoats," she answers, her sentence poorly constructed from lack of education. The lock on her cage snapped in half, broken by her savior's will. The girl's darkness surged as she crawled out.

Dooku smiled as his new apprentice stood before him, waiting for him to mark her as a Sith. "Girl, you now bare the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. I name you Darth..." he trails off, searching for an appropriate moniker. "Noctis," the Count finally decided. The girl once called Max giggles, her warm brown eyes glittering in an increasingly dangerous manner. 'Sith do not giggle,' Dooku mentally grumbled. A presence tingled on his Force senses. Darth Noctis muttered "Erasers." The older Sith glanced down, and said, "Unleash your anger on them." Seconds later there was a loud crash and howls of pain. Noctis had brought the ceiling down on the half-wolf enforces. At this point Dooku remembered a problem. Bane's Rule of Two forbade him from taking his own apprentice unless he was about to challenge his master.

This trip was not going anything like he had been anticipating. He had come to this rock to recover artifacts from a hidden Sith temple who's location he learned from one of his Master's holocrons. The temple was long gone, destroyed along with the surrounding town of Gomorrah. Lord Tyranus wasn't quite sure what to think of the explanation for that. He realized though that his time wasn't wasted however, as he had sensed a powerful Force presence on another continent and sought it out. This is how he found the girl now called Noctis. Dooku was not ready to challenge Lord Sidious, so he would have to keep his new apprentice a secret and hide her on her home world. It was a situation the older Sith would have liked to avoid, but he felt that he would have to train the winged girl remotely.

Max felt great. For the first time, she was _free_. For the first time, she had _power._ A dozen Erasers round the corner, wanting to recapture the escaped experiment. A crazed, slasher-like smile appeared on her face and she hurled a wave of Force energy at her attackers. The Sith Count was surprised. His new apprentice had just used a fairly advanced Force technique: Force Blast. The resulting explosion collapsed the hall around the hybrid guards as well as several near-by rooms. Noctis let out an evil, piercing laugh that sent a chill into Tyranus' blood. 'This is one terrifying little girl' he thought. 'Far more terrifying than she has any right to be at this time.' Seeming to know that he was thinking about her, she turned to look at her Master. "Do good?" she queried. "For a first attempt," he replied, finding it difficult not to praise her talent. "Come with me, I will arrange for you needs and get your training underway."

**Character Bios**

**Name: Maximum Ride**

**Aliases: Darth Noctis**

**Species: **_**Homo volatilis**_

**Hair: golden brown, shoulder length, blonde and dark red streaks**

**Eyes: chocolate brown**

**Height: 1.73 m (5' 8") at 14.**

**Mass: 44.45 kg (98 lb.) at 14.**

**Wing Span: 3.96 m (13 ft.) at 14.**

**Wing Color: brown with white trailing edge and ivory markings (see peregrine falcon)**


	3. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is four months before The Angel Experiment. Writing style irregularities are due to use of material from TAE**

**Format change: **_thoughts_**. **** This change will be applied to previous chapters soon.**

**Disclaimer: I'll let you know if I get the rights to Maximum Ride and Star Wars.**

Fourteen BBY

It's been five years since I broke the Flock out of the School. Fang and I are fourteen now, Iggy, who's blind, is a week away from his fourteenth. Speaking of Iggy, he shuffles into the kitchen and begins searching for a frying pan. _Huh. Is it breakfast time already?_ I glance at the nearest clock. 0935. _Yep. Time to wake the younger kids._ Sighing, I pull myself off my cushion and walk to the closest bedroom, shared by Iggy and Zephyr. Zephyr, or Gazzy as we normally call him, is an eight year-old, voice-mimicking pyro and a living chemical weapon system. Whether his noxious eruptions were an ability coded into his DNA or a mistake, we don't know. Anyways, when I open his door, I'm greeted by the smell of detonite. "Gazzy! What have told you about using explosives in the house?!" I shout. The little blonde boy flinches. Forcing myself to calm down, I continue "It's time for breakfast."

The two younger girls haven't woken up yet, so I head to their room next. I push open the door to find eleven year-old Nudge tangled up in her covers, fast asleep. _As soon as she's up, she'll be chattering like a chipmunk. We call it the Nudge Channel: all Nudge, all the time. Seriously, when she's awake, she is the most talkative person on the planet. I'll get Angel first._ Walking across the room, I gently pull aside the thin curtain concealing the five year-old's nest. Angel, Gazzy's little sister, keeps her bed filled with stuffed animals, clothes and books. How she manages to sleep in all that, I have no idea. But anyways, Angel is already dress and waiting for me. _It looks like I've been doing a good job raising her. I wouldn't be surprised if she starts calling me Mom._ A soft voice asks "May I?" Oh yeah, she's telepathic. "It's breakfast sweetie, and I'll think about that," I manage. "Morning Max! What's for breakfast? Can you make breakfast burritos? I love breakfast burritos. Are you going to kiss Fang? Should—" Nudge's stream of words is cut off as I use the Force to still her vocal cords. She gives me an annoyed look. "I want to go flying!" squeals Angel. "Ange, we haven't even eaten yet," I scold. "Afterwards I meant," comes her quite reply.

Time skip

Flying. There's nothing like it. The feel of wind flowing over you, blowing your hair around like a flag. Sensing Fang behind me, I pull an Immelmann and drop into formation with him. "Hey," he says laconically. Typical. Before I can reply, a wave of foreboding in the Force washes over me. Horribly familiar presences are inbound. _Erasers. Dammit!_ Scanning the area with the Force, I realize what the monsters are after: Angel. Acting quickly, I yell "Everybody! Erasers! Get ready!" Then I hear the distinctive sound of helicopter rotors_. Oh come _on_!__ This just _has_ to get worse. Murphy's Law is such a pain_. As I reach out with the Force, a bullet slams into my shoulder, breaking my concentration. _When did these jokers get so smart? _Snarling in pain, I watch helplessly as an Eraser fires a tranquilizer dart at my little girl and bundle her into one of the choppers. Rage once again fills me, but it is the rage of the helpless. _Damn the whitecoats and their mooks_. Gazzy slams into the Eraser that had grabbed his sister, but gets his side clawed open for his trouble. Nudge streaks in, hoping to rescue the youngest Flock member, only to be backhanded out of the vehicle like a small bug. Another Eraser fires some kind of sonic weapon at Iggy as the thirteen year-old dives to attack. Iggy's sensitive ears leave him extremely vulnerable to the blast of sound, earning a wince of sympathy from me.

I curse silently as the helicopters soar off, carrying away the girl I had told just forty-five minutes ago that she might be able to call me 'Mom'. The only thing that keeps me from flying after her is the fact that there is a hole in my shoulder and Gazzy has been mauled. Fang scoops up Gazzy and, noting my current state, begins barking orders. The five of us make our way back to the house, enough anger in the air that even a non-Force sensitive could feel it. No one speaks until me and Fang finish applying Bacta to the serious injuries. "When do we leave?" demands Gazzy. "Me, Fang and Nudge leave at 0530. You and Iggy stay here," I state. "Gazzy, you're too injured for a rescue mission and I need the two of you here incase Angel manages to escape." Fang then adds "Someone has to keep this place secure as well. Also, if we somehow get captured, we'll have backup."

Angel's kidnapping confirms my long standing concern: that the School wants us back. I never told the others though. It was like, out of sight, out of mind. Actually, more like, let's all try to forget when we were at the mercy of sadistic spawns of Satan in a place that's a total, hellish abomination and ought to be vaporized. Yeah, more like that. _The only thing that would make this worse would be Master Tyranus coming back to make me rejoin the Sith. Crap. Now _that's_ going to happen as well._

Time skip

Despite the circumstances, I can't seem to stop thinking about Fang. _ Seriously, when did he get so __hot?__ He's got flowing onyx hair, glittering obsidian eyes, dark olive skin... Snap out of it Max! You can ogle the guy later, after Angel's safe._ My eyes drift over to the huge iridescent black raven-esc wings flapping beside me. _Dammit, stay focused! Yes, I love Fang, but this is getting ridiculous. I can't save Angel if I'm drooling over my best friend! Maybe it would've been easier if I brought Iggy instead._

Just then, something down below catches my attention. In the town we're flying over, there is a group of kids. Boys, surrounding a smaller girl. I make a snap decision. I turn to Fang and barely open my mouth. "No," he declares. My eyes narrow. I open my mouth again. "No." "Meet me at the northernmost point of Lake Mead," I order. Before Fang can form a response, I dive down behind an abandoned warehouse.

After landing, I slide my black Army jacket on, concealing my wings. When I round the corner of the warehouse, I see that there are three guys, maybe fifteen, sixteen years old. The girl appears younger, maybe twelve or so. "I told you not to tell anybody about my little situation with Ortiz," one boy yells at her. "It was none of your business. I had to teach him a lesson." The girl bites her lip, anger and fear prominent in her Force aura. "By beating him up? He looks like he got hit by a car! And he didn't do anything to you," she retorts. _You go girl._ "He mouthed off to me. He exists. He breathes my air," snickers the guy, and his jerk friends laugh meanly. _God, what creeps. _Armed_ creeps_. One of them is holding a shotgun loosely in the crook of his arm._ America, right to bear arms, yada, yada, yada. How old were these yahoos? Do their parents know they have guns? _

_I hate it when people think they can pick on others just because they're bigger. I think I'll show them what _real_ power is. _ I step out from beside the building. The girl spots me, and her eyes flicker in surprise. It's enough. The guys wheel to look behind them. _Just another stupid girl_, they seem to think, relieved. Their eyes linger a moment on my face, but they don't keep watching me. Mistake number one. "So, Ella, what have you got to say for yourself?" the lead guy taunts. "Is there any reason I shouldn't teach you a lesson too?" "Three guys against one girl. That seems about even," I smirk, striding up. I'm finding it difficult to keep my eyes from changing. "Shut up, chick," one of the boys snaps. "You better get out of here if you know what's good for you." "Can't," I retort, walking to stand next to the girl named Ella. She stares at me in alarm. "Actually, I think kicking your stupid butts would be good for me." They then make mistake number two. They laugh.

Thanks to genetic engineering, my innate strength is greater than that of a grown man, and the Force can boost that ever farther. I have also been trained in unarmed combat by Tyranus. Knowing this, and not wanting to draw too much attention, I suppress the urge to draw my lightsaber. _ Now, if I could just get Ella out of here..._

"Grab Big Mouth," commands the head guy, and the other two move to flank me. Which makes mistake number three. Bam, you're out. I move fast, fast, fast. With no warning, I snap a high kick right into the lead jerk's chest. A blow that would have only knocked Fang's breath away actually snaps a rib on this guy. I hear the crack, and the guy chokes, looking shocked, and falls backward. The remaining two guys charge at me. I whirl, ripping the shotgun out of its wielder's grip and clobber him with it. The bully staggers back, stunned, with bright red blood flowing down his face.

Glancing over, I notice that Ella is still standing there, looking as though she might wet herself. Although I hope not, that's probably because of me. "Run!" I instruct, pushing the prompt at her with the Force. "Get out of here!" She immediately bolts. Good. The last bully standing leaps at me and I casually break his nose. _Wow, I forgot how fragile humans are. _

The first moron snatches up the gun and cocks it, favoring his right arm. "You're gonna be so sorry," he roars, spitting blood out of his mouth and starting toward me. "Bet I won't," I mock. Then I turn tail and sprint for the woods as fast as I can. Within seconds I reach the trees and quickly start dodging through them to throw off that bonehead's aim. Two loud shots echo through the air, bark exploding off near-by trunks. A third is followed by a sharp, burning pain in my right shoulder. _That clown actually hit me! And in the same shoulder that got nailed yesterday! Dammit!_

**A/N: And that's chapter I.**

**Character Bios**

**Name: Fang**

**Aliases: Nick**

**Species: **_**Homo volatilis**_

**Hair: raven black**

**Eyes: obsidian black**

**Height: 1.90 m (6' 2") at 14**

**Mass: 47.17 kg (104 lb.) at 14**

**Wing Span: 4.57 m (15 ft.) at 14**

**Wing Color: raven black (dark iridescent purple in bright light)**


	4. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry about the delay, but I needed to get a new computer. Also, I've put up a challenge on my profile. PM me if you're interested.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own. If I did, Star Wars would still have the EU.**

The pain makes it hard to focus, but I tap into the Force to guide me down a slope and into some dense undergrowth. I lie very still, trying to catch my breath, and think. Far above me, I can hear the wild boys yelling and shooting again. They sound like elephants crashing through the woods, and I don't need the Force to track them as they blunder right past my hiding place. I feel like an ogre has just beaten me all over with a club. My right arm hurts like ﬁre. I try to stretch out my wing, only to suck my breath in hard as I discover it got hit too. I can't see it well over my shoulder, but going by the searing pain, it's bad. Slowly, I stand up, smothering gasps of pain. I need to get out of here. Trusting my senses to direct me, I start working my way north. I swallow a groan as I realize that Nudge and Fang are no doubt wondering where the heck I am. _I messed up big-time. Angel is waiting for me too—if she's still alive. I've let them all down. On top of it, I'm hurt pretty bad and there's gun-toting maniacs after me. Crap._

Time skip

Stumbling through the woods, I silently curse my decision not to bring Bacta patches. My shoulder oozes thick red blood every time it gets jarred. _This situation totally sucks, and it's 100 percent my own stupid fault, which makes it even worse. _Of course, to add metaphorical insult to literal injury, it starts pouring rain. So now I'm slogging my way through wet woods, brush, clay and mud, wiping water out of my eyes, and only getting further chilled, miserable and hungry while growing more insanely furious at myself.

After what seems like forever, lights appear ahead. If it's a store or shed, I might be able to wait till everyone left and then hole up for the night. Moving quickly, I'm soon only ten yards away, hunching down in the darkness, peering through the trees. In front of me, there is a house. Scanning the windows, I spot movement. _Ella. Must be her house._ While I try to plan my next move, Ella emerges. She's carrying large umbrella and holding a leash with a low set, over-weight dog. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I take a deep breath and start walking towards the younger girl. "Um, Ella?" That elicits a startled squeak. I step forward a bit, out of the underbrush, so she's able to see my face. "It's me," I mutter, feeling even stupider. "The girl from before." Despite the rain and growing darkness, she notices the blood on my jacket. "Are you alright?" she gasps. I grimace, "The Neanderthal with the shotgun managed to wing me." Ella looks at me with astonishment. "Why didn't you got to the hospital?" "Don't know where it is. And frankly, I don't trust 'em," I admit. This, surprisingly, is accepted with a silent nod. "I understand," she says. "My mom can help. She's a vet, but she can do human injuries as well." The girl then turns and calls "Mom! Mom! This girl needs help!" A dark-haired woman with worried eyes appears at the door. "What is it, Ella? What's wrong?" "Mom, this is…" Ella stops, her hand in midair. "Max," I supply. _Crap, I must have lost a lot of blood, 'cause there's no other reason I wouldn't give a fake name. _"Max got shot helping me get away from José and Dwayne and the others." "Oh, no!" exclaims Ella's mother. "Please, Max, come in. Do you want me to call your parents?" I shuffle on the doormat, reluctant to drip rain, and blood, on their ﬂoor. "Um..." Then the woman notices my blood soaked and torn jacket. The whole situation changes instantly. "Let me get my stuff," she says gently. "Take off your shoes and go with Ella to the bathroom." I ditch my muddy combat boots and slosh down the hallway in my wet socks. "What stuff is she going to get?" I whisper. Ella flips on a light and ushers me into an old-fashioned bathroom with green tiles and a rust ring around the sink drain. "Her first aid kit. I told you, she's a vet," the girl whispers back.

Ella's mom returns with a plastic box that I recognize as a medkit. "Ella, please get Max some juice. She'll need fluids and sugar." After her daughter leaves, the woman says "I take it you don't want me to call your parents." as she starts cutting away my ruined jacket. I simply shake my head. "What about the police?" she asks. Shaking my head again, I explain "There is a group after me and there's a good chance they've got the cops under surveillance." The vet looks surprised by that but accepts my reply. It's at this point that Ella's mom removes my jacket. Her gasp of shock tells me I should have mentioned that I'm not exactly human. "Max, why are there feathers growing out of your back?" the woman queries. I laugh a little. "They aren't growing out of my back. They're growing out of my wings. Speaking of which, I think my left wing got hit." Gaping, she stammers "What are you?" Shooting her a look, I retort "Just… Just get my wing and back patched would you."

A startled squeak announces Ella's return. When I turn to look at her, she pales and almost drops the glass of apple juice she's carrying. _Aw crud. My eyes must have changed color._ One quick glance at the mirror confirms this. My reflection bares the red-flecked yellow eyes of a Sith. _This is bad._ As panic starts to build, blood loss catches up with me and I momentarily blackout. This gets Ella and her mother over the Sith eyes real quick. Ella, steadying me, all but forces the juice down my throat. Her mother then begins to study my wounds. Frowning she declares "You likely won't be able to fly for a month or more Max." _Rapid healing plus Force Healing Trance means maybe a day and a half._

Unfortunately, as the vet is bandaging my injuries, there is a knock at the door. Ella hurries out of the room to answer it. A few second later, a gruff voice carries to us, "We're searching for a young woman around five foot eight with brown hair. She's wanted in connection with a triple murder." Ella's reply of "Haven't seen her" is followed by a pained yelp. A man who is obviously _not_ a cop appears in the bathroom doorway, a gun in his hand. Fed up with this, I draw my lightsaber. Ella's mother, seeing the crimson blade erupt from the black weapon, almost faints. Before my opponent can aim, I blast him with Force Lightning, causing him to morph. This leads to the vet fainting. Pressing my advantage, I slice the Eraser's thoracic cavity open. The stench of ozone and seared flesh awakens my unconscious host to me preparing the corpse for disposal.

Feeling sorry for putting the family in danger, I decide to spend as little time with them as possible. "Just get me some food and I'll be on my way," I state. The vet simply nods and heads off to the kitchen. A few minutes later finds me walking out the door carrying a bag full of sandwiches and fresh-made chocolate chip cookies.

Time Skip

After a night spent in a healing trance and half of the sandwiches, I'm healed enough to begin the trek to Lake Mead. Less than an hour into my walk, I spot Fang flying towards me. "What the Hell Max! We _need _to rescue Angel! She can't afford any delays!" he shouts. _Wow. That's the most he's said at one time in months!_ I meet his gaze and instantly regret it. His obsidian eyes are filled with worry and desperation. Part of me wants to lean in and kiss him. _Bad Max! Bad! Suppress the hormones and get going!_ At this point though, my teenage hormones are hyped up enough to by-pass my self-control. Luckily, Fang chooses that moment to grab my arm and start dragging me towards the lake. As we jog through the woods, my attention keeps getting drawn to Fang's silky raven hair and… _Gah! Why do my hormones have to flare-up on a rescue mission?_ My best friend's voice snaps me out of my internal self-beratement. "Max, you seem…distracted lately. What's up?" Sighing I reply "It's hormones, we can deal with it when Angel's safe." He smirks. "And those hormones are directed at me aren't they." I hang my head. Laughing, he says "That's not very Sith-like." I punch him. "I left the Sith remember? And I did it for The Flock… mainly you though," I admit.

Time Skip

Around nine hours have passed since my sort-of confession and we've finally reached the cave where Fang sent Nudge when he went after me. Much to our surprise, Iggy and Gazzy are waiting there as well. Knowing my imminent question, Iggy answers it. "Erasers were going to seal the house off with a landslide." Noticing the look on my face, he adds "We were out numbered about thirty to one." I sigh. "Did you get as much out as you could?" Gazzy answers "Yep. Grabbed Bacta, field rations, a few blasters, and the bug-out kits." Nodding I ask "Locked everything down?" He bobs his head slightly. "Good. Now let's get moving, we've got a little girl to save," I announce.

Time Skip

The rest of the day is spent flying hard and fast. Dusk sees us entering Death Valley National Park, a place that is rather appropriate for the School; although the National Park Service would likely appreciate us removing that hellhole from the park. Now, while a night attack would be quite effective, we're too tired to launch an assault yet. _Hold on just a few more hours Ange. We're coming for you._ As the Flock settles down for a two hour rest, headlights flare. _Damn._ The headlights belong to the military-grade multi-terrain passenger vehicles belonging to the School. Erasers begin pouring out of the vehicles, followed by Doctor Batchelder and someone I never thought I would see involved in this: Ari, Batchelder's son. _That bastard turned his son into an Eraser! I'll kill that arrogant asshole._ Then, just as a warning reverberates through the Force, there is the whoosh of tranquilizer darts being fired. A sharp prick and everything goes black.

When my consciousness returns I immediately reach out with the Force, seeking my Flock. In the crate nearest me is Angel. Fang and Iggy are across the aisle. Gazzy and Nudge are stacked above me and Angel. No other living thing is in the room. Without opening my eyes, I remotely activate my lightsaber and call it to me. Twenty seconds later, the weapon comes spinning through the door. I direct the blade into the lock on my cage and retrieve my energy sword. With the Force and fifteen seconds, all the cages are torn open. The sound of tearing metal awakens Angel. As soon as I finish extricating myself from my crate, the little blonde girl launches herself at me, crying "Mommy!" _Yeah, I'll let her._ Fang snickers and I shoot him a dirty look, then realize that the only reason I'm not jumping him right now is that the others are here. _Curse you hormones!_

The events of the past week force me to realize that the two Flock members most important to me are Fang and Angel. Unfortunately, this realization hits at the worst possible time. A dozen Erasers burst through the door, having followed my lightsaber. _Sh… no, no swearing with Angel around!_ Lightning erupts from my fingertips, stunning the monstrosities. Feeling the power of the Dark Side rising within me, I force my eyes to retain their natural color. For Angel's sake.

**A/N: No, Max is not OP. The School's forces are just mooks. The Big Bad's troops will be stronger.**

**Character Bios**

**Name: Iggy**

**Aliases: none**

**Species: **_**Homo volatilis**_

**Hair: strawberry blond**

**Eyes: ice blue**

**Height: 1.90 m (6' 2") at 14**

**Mass: 46.27 kg (102 lb.) at 14**

**Wing Span: 4.57 m (15 ft.) at 14**

**Wing Color: ivory and off-white**


End file.
